A few years ago when I made a go of this same goal, my life was much simpler. I wasn't in school 20 hours/week, I wasn't fitting in Lauren's play practices 3x/week, and I wasn't training girls for pageants at the steady pace that I am at this point in time. My schedule reflects my working friends' schedules much more so than it did a few years ago. Back then, when asked how I used to fit in my gym time back then the answer was easy - I made it a priority, but I also wasn't trying to balance SO many things at once. I also used to say, "If I had a full time job, there's no way I could make this work." Well, now I have a schedule of a full time job, and I'm somehow still making it work.
How? It's NOT easy. Today I have a window of about 2 hours (between 9-9), so I'm fitting in cardio and some resistance training at home. Not my favorite way to exercise, but it's my only choice. Every hear of exercise on demand?? Channel 937 on TWC.... today's choice is "Squat To Look Hot". This ought to be interesting! Then I'll hit the trail in front of my house with Will in tow riding his sled. Viola!! A great day of working out without the time to get to the gym. That's what you call just making it work!
Short and sweet for today's entry - not much time left in my window! ;)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Big Picture
So I'm just getting back in the swing of things. That means a high protein diet. The most important thing I do to keep myself on track is to keep a food journal. I start by eating as SOON as I get up in the morning... gotta stoke the fire! Usually for me that means egg whites/fruit/oatmeal. I keep my body's metabolism going at a steady pace by eating every few hours. My goal is to eat proactively; to not really ever feel hunger pains. That's harder than it sounds!!!
What else do I include in my training diet? Chicken. Lots of it. (ugg!) I actually keep a stash of plain cooked chicken in the fridge to pick away at. It's actually pretty tasty chopped up and mixed with chopped grapes. ;) My steady diet also includes tuna, greek yogurt, lots of veggies (sweet potatoes during the day - not after, say, 4pm), oatmeal, ezekial bread, and fruit. Boring, right??? I know... and that's why I'm definitely NOT perfect when it comes to my diet.
It would be SO much easier to stick to the plan if I didn't have kid friendly foods stocking my cupboards as well, but I try to be as strict as possible. If I mess up, I write that down, too. Honestly, sometimes just knowing I'll have to write down the words "5 Thin mints" amidst an otherwise well balanced list is enough to curb temptation. It's that whole "accountablity" factor that works for me so well, but not always. And that's exactly what I had to record yesterday - only I WISH it was only 5!!!
But really, the other thing that I have found, is that to stay on track, I always have to be able to forgive myself and move on. **It's the big picture, after all!!!**
What else do I include in my training diet? Chicken. Lots of it. (ugg!) I actually keep a stash of plain cooked chicken in the fridge to pick away at. It's actually pretty tasty chopped up and mixed with chopped grapes. ;) My steady diet also includes tuna, greek yogurt, lots of veggies (sweet potatoes during the day - not after, say, 4pm), oatmeal, ezekial bread, and fruit. Boring, right??? I know... and that's why I'm definitely NOT perfect when it comes to my diet.
It would be SO much easier to stick to the plan if I didn't have kid friendly foods stocking my cupboards as well, but I try to be as strict as possible. If I mess up, I write that down, too. Honestly, sometimes just knowing I'll have to write down the words "5 Thin mints" amidst an otherwise well balanced list is enough to curb temptation. It's that whole "accountablity" factor that works for me so well, but not always. And that's exactly what I had to record yesterday - only I WISH it was only 5!!!
But really, the other thing that I have found, is that to stay on track, I always have to be able to forgive myself and move on. **It's the big picture, after all!!!**
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What is a fitness competition?
It was many years ago I saw my first fitness competition on ESPN. It was called Fitness America and I was amazed at how athletic these 30 and 40something year old women were! 1 armed push ups, crazy strength moves, tumbling.... I knew way back then that that such a competition was officially making it to my bucket list! In 2009 I switched up my workout routine quite drastically. In fact, I aborted all cardio and started to focus on weight training only. Wow, what a difference! My body began to change right away. Although I weighed the same, my pant size actually went down a size, and I felt amazingly strong!! I knew then that I was going to seize the moment, and that I was suddenly ready to move ahead on that little chapter of my bucket list. So what is a fitness competition?
First round: the competitor should have good to excellent muscle tone with clean, tight lines. She should appear to have reasonable levels of body fat. Her physique should look as if it was constructed through proper diet and fitness training. Her physique should appear evenly developed, displaying her attention to a totally fit body. Her great legs with lean thighs should "match" her beautifully sculpted arms and slender waist to create a very feminine appearance. (We call this the "swimsuit round")
Second round (routine <2min)
She must demonstrate strength, flexibility, and endurance in an original fitness routine. She may incorporate any skill or talent she may possess - gymnastics/tumbling are not a requirement, though they can strengthen the routine's score. She should demonstrate a high level of execution of movements, including full extension. Her routine should "appear" effortless. She should include a diversity of routine elements with a high degree of complexity and difficulty.
Monday, March 7, 2011
accountability is key!
In the past 8 years I've been dedicated to fitness in varying degrees. My gym membership started out as something that added dimension to my day to day routine as a mother of a 1 year old. The 1 hour break from mommyhood 3 times each week made me feel sane - something any mother of a colicky baby NEEDS! And yes, Lauren was still crying and not sleeping much STILL at that age. Between the break and the body's natural release of endorphins that exercise creates, I knew my gym membership was something I'd continue to need and use for years to come!
One thing I know about myself is that when I make a goal, I need accountability. Right away I noticed that an older gentleman named Ron was at the gym at the same time I was, and in fact, we both were focused on cardio only. It helped that he likes to gossip like a girl - and a partnership was born! It was that partnership that made me feel accountable. I knew that if I didn't show up he'd wonder where I was, and visa versa. I HAD to go. And I knew that accountability factor was exactly what I needed.
Just as maintaining a partnership at the gym made dedication to fitness easier, setting a goal of a fitness competition has led me to completely achieve my fitness potential - not once but twice so far! Without a goal, I know I will never have pushed myself as hard as I did. Now, over a year later, I am finding myself unable to really go full throttle towards that goal for a third time, so what do I do? I reach for another type of accountability - this blog. Eeeks. People will be following my journey this time. It feels a little funny to put myself out there in the way - I feel a little vulnerable. But accountability is what I need! Stay tuned....
One thing I know about myself is that when I make a goal, I need accountability. Right away I noticed that an older gentleman named Ron was at the gym at the same time I was, and in fact, we both were focused on cardio only. It helped that he likes to gossip like a girl - and a partnership was born! It was that partnership that made me feel accountable. I knew that if I didn't show up he'd wonder where I was, and visa versa. I HAD to go. And I knew that accountability factor was exactly what I needed.
Just as maintaining a partnership at the gym made dedication to fitness easier, setting a goal of a fitness competition has led me to completely achieve my fitness potential - not once but twice so far! Without a goal, I know I will never have pushed myself as hard as I did. Now, over a year later, I am finding myself unable to really go full throttle towards that goal for a third time, so what do I do? I reach for another type of accountability - this blog. Eeeks. People will be following my journey this time. It feels a little funny to put myself out there in the way - I feel a little vulnerable. But accountability is what I need! Stay tuned....
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